The Castlegar and District Rec Commission has voted five to four in favour of submitting a grant application that could secure up to 73 per cent of capital costs for upgrades to the Rec Complex. The Commission is looking at five different upgrades which include the five following items for a cost of over $19.3-million dollars according to 2020 cost estimates”
- Necessary Items: Demolition of condemned arena storage area, accoustic improvements to the arena, additional hockey change room
- Walking Track and Existing Arena upgrades: 200 meter walking track
- Social Hub: Lobby expansion and upgrades, new reception and administration offices, “Fireside” room, warm viewing area to arena from lobby, multipurpose/party room for the aquatics centre
- Pool: New leisure pool with water features, lazy river and beach entry, change room retrofit, universal change room expansion, spray pad
- Fitness Area: New expanded fitness room (cardio, stretching, weights), new fitness studio and storage (group classess), elevator and stair access to level 2
- No second arena
Regional District of Central Kootenay Area I Director Andy Davidoff was the lone vote against the motion. His concern is how much his rate payers can absorb. Earlier in the meeting, Commissioner Davidoff put forward a proposal for a roughly $5.5-million dollar Complex upgrade that didn’t include a pool and social hub, however it didn’t receive any support. He feels going forward with only the top two priorities identified for the Complex and reducing the impact on tax payers is the “responsible proposal.”
“I believe the Commission could have chosen to address the actual needs which are fitness and wellness and do it in a more fiscally responsible way and that’s the difference between my proposal and what the rest of the commissioners proposed.”
Davidoff also brought up the potential for a service review to see if Area I should continue to be a part of S227 which funds the aquatic and fitness centres and programming.
Chair Bergen Price says there’s just over two weeks to get the application in now as it’s due January 23.
“The good part is staff has the, I guess, assistance from the architect and the grant writers, so they’re going to get some support, which is good, it’s not all on the staff. We should have enough horse power to get this in. The vote is done and now we just have to make sure we get the application in.”
It will have to be approved by the Regional District of Central Kootenay Board of Directors as well.
The Castlegar and District Rec Commission is comprised of Castlegar Mayor Bruno Tassone and City Councillors Dan Rye and Bergen Price. The RDCK representatives are rural area directors from Area I, Andy Davidoff and Area J, Rick Smith.